The Otherworld
by VeryCoolPerson
Summary: Grace Seafeld wins a book called The Otherworld in a writing contest and the book is otherworldly, alright. It sends Grace flying into the One Piece World on Whitebeard's ship of all places! Can she save her friends and bring them back home?
1. The Prize

**Grace's bio**

**Name: **Grace Seafeld

**Age: **17

**Gender:** Female

**Height: **5'6

**Eye color:** Brown

**Physical Appearance: **She has short black, straight hair that stops at her shoulders. She prefers wearing her hair in a tight pony tail because she hates it when her hair blocks her peripheral vision. She's not too fat or too skinny; she's in between. She has a caramel-colored skin tone, which darkens when she's out in the sun too long.

* * *

**Chapter One: The Prize**

"Grace! Mail for you!" Mom called. I was sitting on the bed in my bedroom, typing away on my laptop furiously. I was working on a story to get published in my school's newspaper, _The Daily Deal._

"Grace!" Mom's voice floated through the sliver crack of my almost closed door. I stopped typing and lifted my head, cocking it slightly to the side. _Did someone call me?_ I placed the laptop from my lap to my bed, climbing off of it and opened the door all the way.

"Mom! Did you call me?" I shouted.

"Yes! You have a small package!" _A package? For me? From who?_ I knew I wouldn't receive any answers by standing idly at the door, so I ran down the steps and nearly collided into my mom.

"Hey, watch it before you hurt yourself," she scolded. "Here," she handed me a small brown package that had a white sticker with small black print on it. I scanned the sticker.

To: Grace Seafeld

From: Jerry Mont

The rest of the information was serial numbers and other things I felt was too unimportant to identify. Mom peered over my shoulders.

"Jerry Mont? Is he a friend of yours?" She asked. I shook my head, my face one of confusion and puzzlement. I never heard of a person name Jerry Mont. Mom held out a white envelope to me.

"What's this?" I asked taking it and looking it over. Mom shrugged.

"It came with the package," she answered. I stared at my mom in disbelief.

"Why didn't you give this to me to the same time as the package?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry dear, I was just realizing I was holding it." I tore the envelope open neatly and read its contents.

**Dear Grace,**

**We are happy to announce that you have won third place in the Writer's Block contest**

Grace gasped, her eyes growing wide and her fingers trembling.

"Grace?" Mom said her voice and face filled with concern, "honey, what's the matter? Is the letter bad?" I didn't answer but continued reading.

**The judges felt that though your plot was one of originality and interest, your style of writing itself needs improvement on. Nevertheless, your story has been picked as third best out of 100 entries. We enjoyed reading your story Grace and would love to have you enter again in the hopefully not-too-distant future. Your prize should be sent along with this letter. If not, wait for at least two weeks for your prize to come in. If, in two weeks your prize has not arrived contact the number 890-786-9863 and we will send it to you.**

**Jerry Mont**

**Writer's Block Coordinator**

I finished reading the letter and handed it to my mom, a smile on my face. Mom looked over the letter, her eyes widening.

"Oh my, Grace! This is wonderful. You won!"

"Mom, did you not read the fine print? I came in third place."

"So? Do you not believe it is better than fourth?" Mom countered. I decided not to oppose to that. The Writer's Block contest was an annual competition against other writers that is held every year. It was dubbed Writer's Block because the judges would tell the contestants what topics their story must be about. The topics the judges give usually prove difficult to come up with a story pertaining to said topic. This year's topic wasn't all that difficult for me, however, it did take me like three weeks to come up with an interesting story. I gazed at the brown package that had previously been just that to me—a plain, brown package. Now, I gazed at it with reverence, pondering what my prize could be.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Mom asked with her hands crossed, the letter enfolded in between her arms. I obeyed and slowly opened the package, all the while picturing in my mind what the package held inside. When I finally tore the box open I flipped the box upside down so that whatever was inside would come tumbling out. A black book and a silver key popped out and I caught them before they could fall to the ground.

"Huh?" I said holding the book up to my face. The book was titled _The Otherworld_; the title was colored gray against the obsidian background. There was nothing else there, no pictures, or any other descriptive words, not even the author's name was anywhere to be found. I turned the book over to read the description of the book, however, there was nothing there also; no writing, no pictures, no nothing. I flipped the book back over, my frown deepening as I gazed upon it.

"What is it, dear?" Mom asked me. "You don't like your prize?"

"It's not that," I answered flipping the book to the back once again, "it's just… I can't find the author's name, there's no description and what's with the key and padlock?" There was a golden-colored keylock that kept the book secured.

"I don't know honey. Listen, I have to get dinner ready, okay?" Mom told me. She left foyer hall and headed for the kitchen. I climbed the steps, grumbling to myself. I would have gladly taken twenty bucks; anything but a weird book. Entering my room, I sat on my bed with a flop. I used the key and unlocked the key lock. The lock opened with an official _snap_, I opened the book and found on the first page in big, black bold print the words: **WARNING! DO NOT READ ALOUD! DO _NOT_ READ ALOUD! **

Puzzled, I wondered what on earth it meant not to read aloud. Not that it mattered to me since I was a silent reader; still it was sort of unsettling. Why can't the person read the book out loud? Is the book cursed? I snorted at the prospect. Anyway, it made no difference to me. Turning the page, I beheld a poem and began reading.

**Invisible to the Eyes, but Not the Heart**

Out beyond this world lies another

Out beyond this world lie sisters and brothers,

Though not quite similar

Countless and copious, numbered and limited

Out beyond this world lies another

To see or not to see, with one's own eye naught

But with one's own heart, ye

Mere mortal eyes cannot perceive the unknown

Cannot see the unseen; but the heart can and will if one so allows it

Out beyond this world lies another

Out beyond this world lie sisters and brothers

Though not quite similar

Invisible are these to the eyes, but the heart perceives

-Author Unknown

When I finished reading the poem I reread it once more. What the heck was this person talking about? I could only understand a little; the author claims there are other worlds out there, however, to see said worlds you have to see them with your… heart? I just don't understand it. The title of the book is _Otherworld_... so, does this mean the book is about the main character finding a new world? Only one way to find out.

I eagerly opened the book, skipping the warning and poem and went straight to… a blank page. I blinked, taken back for a second; I recovered, however, and turned the page to find another wordless page. Huh? Flipping page after page my puzzlement and astonishment mounted with each blank, wordless page. _What the—? Where are the words? Why is the book blank? Do people just publish _anything_ these days? _I uttered a cry and heaved the book across the room. It bounced off the wall and landed on the floor with a _plop_.

"Grace, dinner's ready!" Mom called.

"I'm coming!" I called back. I glared at the book, scowling at it. "I really ought to trash you." I spat. I stormed out of the room.

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think! I'll post more if I get at least one review. I know it sounds boring now but hopefully it will get better! I already have chapters 2 and 3 typed up and ready. I just need at least one review to put them up!**


	2. The Warning of the Unknown

**I know I said I'd wait for a review but I decided to post anyway.  
**

**Chapter Two: The Warning of the Unknown**

"A book with absolutely no words and/or pictures?! That's pretty weird," Samantha Evans said. I scowled and downed my small carton of apple juice. It was a breezy, sunny Monday afternoon; nice enough to eat a school lunch outside; which was what most of the students of Forks County High did.

"I know, I can't believe the Writer's Block people sent me such a lame prize. I ought to complain to them!"

"That's right, you should." Samantha agreed. "You should demand for an exchange like… money! Twenty bucks sounds about right."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." My other friend, Johnny Hopkins, took his place next to me, plopping his tray on the table.

"Hey, Johnny." I greeted, smiling.

"Hey," Johnny returned stuffing his face full of fries. Samantha wrinkled her nose.

"Uh, you think you can eat more mannerly? You do have two women in your presence,"

"Oh, you decided to call yourself a woman now Sammy? I can't tell what with your personality and the way you dress." Samantha liked dressing in boy outfits and acted very much like a boy. She said herself she wouldn't be caught dead in a dress. Samantha stood, rolling up her sleeve.

"No! Not today!" I shouted as Johnny grabbed a plastic fork. "I mean it. I am not in the mood today for this." Both friends continued to stare each other down until finally Johnny replaced the fork on the table while Samantha sat back down, her arm still exposed.

"Thank you," I breathed.

"What's up with you, anyway?" Johnny asked through a mouthful of fries.

"I won third place in the Writer's Block contest and my prize is a book but—"

"A _book?_ Oh, come on! I know it was a writing contest but geez!" Johnny interrupted opening his milk carton, downing it and then slamming the empty milk carton on the table.

"I know what you mean, Johnny!" I said, "I would have gladly taken twenty bucks." Johnny nodded wiping his mouth with his hand. Samantha made a disgusted noise.

"Got something caught in your throat there, Sammy?" Johnny demanded, glaring. Samantha glared right back. "Would you quit calling me that?" She snapped.

"As soon as you quit making smart aleck remarks!" Johnny snapped back.

"For your information that was a noise and not a remark." Samantha countered, sneering.

"Call it what you will _Sammy_ but everything you do or say always seem to have a smart air around it." Samantha got up again, her fist raised. I stood at the same time and caught that fist.

"Stop! What did I say?!"

"He's asking for it Grace!" Samantha growled.

"I am not! You're always starting stuff! What, you think I'll just let you slide with the crap you pull? Get real!"

"Let me hit him, just once!"

"Go ahead! This time, I'm armed!" Johnny shot back grabbing the plastic fork and waving it about his face.

"Stop it! Stop it! Can't you two get along for once? Just for one day?" I demanded, my voice getting higher. I knew everyone had stopped whatever they were doing and were now looking our way. _This is not helping my mood!_ I thought as Samantha tried to push her way past me. I decided I'll let her. Stepping out of the way Samantha lunged for Johnny who jumped backward and tried to stab Samantha's arm with the fork. That failed. Samantha knocked the fork away and punched Johnny square in the face. Johnny stumbled backwards and fell, unconscious. I sighed at Johnny's relentless idiocy. He and Samantha would always get into fights, and Samantha would always beat the living hell out Johnny, no matter what tactic or plan he had up his sleeve.

"I'm leaving," I muttered grabbing my things and heading for the entrance to the school. Once I entered the bell rang signaling lunch over, I hurried to my locker to grab my social studies book and binder. After I retrieved my things, I closed my locker door shut, spinning the lock.

"BOO!" I yelped, jumping high into the air. I whirled around to find my best and long-time friend, Stella Stephens.

"Stella, gosh you scared me!"

"Uh yeah, that was the point." Stella snickered hoisting her backpack higher on her shoulder.

"Why is everyone's goal today to worsen my mood?" I snapped turning on my heel.

"Whoa, wait!" Stella called running to catch up to me, "what are you talking about?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh, it's definitely something."

"I told you—"

"And I don't want to hear. Go ahead, spill it." Stella commanded. I shook my head, quickening my pace.

"I can't; I'll be late to Mr. Groomsman's class." Stella stopped and crossed her arms. I slowed my pace and finally stopped, turning around. Stella was gazing at me thoughtfully.

"Okay, you can use that excuse now because I understand. But don't think you're off the hook." And with that Stella turned on her heels and disappeared in the crowd of students. I knew she meant what she said but I couldn't think about that right now. I turned and ran in the direction of Mr. Groomsman's class.

* * *

"I'm really sorry, Grace. I know you said stop but all I heard was _whoosh_!" Samantha said as she, Johnny and I entered my home.

"Whoosh?" Johnny repeated scornfully, "What the hell—" I shot him a warning look. "Never mind." He amended.

"Anyways, let's just forget it, okay? It's all in the past."

"But it was just this afternoon," Johnny said. Samantha and I both glared at him.

"Oh, uh, I mean yes. Yes, it's just the past. Let's begin studying shall we?" Johnny threw his backpack on the living couch and rummaged through it. Samantha and I did the same and brought out the books we were going to study with.

"Can you believe how the weather turned a complete 180?" Samantha asked as howling winds beat against the house. After school finished gray, overcast clouds covered the blue sky. As my friends and I walked home from school, strong winds blew turning up dust, knocking over trash bins and making a mess out of things.

"I know what you mean. You don't think there's going to be some sort of storm warning, like a tornado, do you?" I asked nervously.

"I don't know, Grace," Johnny answered, "these winds seem pretty serious. But I think it'll just be a big downfall." Samantha nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure that's all it is—a downfall. Nothing else to it." She said. I nodded, comforted by their words.

After about thirty minutes of studying I stood up and stretched.

"Okay, time for an hour break." I joked. My friends chuckled to themselves as they closed their books.

"Man, I have a huge test in Mr. Henderson's class." Johnny said getting up to stretch. Samantha yawned and stretched while still sitting. "Yeah, I have one too in Mrs. Morrison's."

"Ha, that suck for you guys," I said, smirking, "I don't have any major test; only a minor quiz in Ms. Gertrude's class." Johnny and Samantha simultaneously threw pillows directly in my face.

"Hey! Don't hate me! Hate your teachers!" I laughed running up the stairs.

"Get back here Seafeld!" Samantha called in a mock menacing tone.

"Wait a sec, okay? I want to show you guys something!" I called back. I entered my room and picked up the black book that was lying haphazardly on the floor near the wall. I bolted back down the stairs, jumping loudly on the landing.

"Okay, so this was the book I was talking about." I told my friends holding the book up for them to see.

"So this is the infamous book prize, is it?" Johnny queried gazing thoughtfully at it. Samantha frowned.

"That's a rather plain cover," she remarked. I rolled my eyes.

"_Tell_ me about it."

"So, what's up with the book? Is it boring?" Johnny asked.

"Check for yourself," I answered, throwing the book to him. Johnny caught the book and opened it to the first page. He narrowed his eyes at the bold print.

"What?" Samantha demanded. "What does it say?" Johnny didn't answer but waved her over. Samantha scooted to his side and began reading. Her face gave way to shock and confusion.

"Huh?" She snatched the book out of Johnny's hands who, surprisingly, did not protest but simply scooted away from her.

"It says—"

"Stop!" I interrupted.

"Grace, don't tell me you believe in this warning," Samantha said waving the book.

"I believe it," said Johnny quietly.

"No one asked you," Samantha snapped. Johnny's eyes flashed indignantly.

"Wait," I said before Johnny could retort, "I don't believe it. In fact, I find it dumb. The book claims not to read out loud yet there's nothing written in the book except that stupid warning and a poem!"

"What?" Samantha and Johnny said simultaneously. I nodded, continuing, "Turn the page and read the poem—silently." I added, stressing the word. Samantha turned the page; Johnny came over and began reading silently. After about a minute Samantha turned the page.

"There's nothing," Johnny observed. I semi-expected for Samantha to make a wisecrack like 'nice observation Sherlock,' but she said nothing but merely turned the page.

"Blank," Johnny said again. He looked at me, "I'm suspecting that the entire book is like this?"

"You suspect right." I told him. Samantha closed the book.

"What the… they call this a _prize_? Is this one of those make-your-own-story books?"

"I was thinking similar but I don't think so," I said.

"I want to know what's up with the stupid warning," Samantha said reopening the book and gazing at the first page. I pursed my lips, debating on whether or not I should share.

"Well…" I started, "I believe the warning is meant for the poem." Samantha and Johnny looked at me thoughtfully for a moment.

"You know," Samantha said, "she could be right."

"Only one way to find out. Toss me the book," I instructed. Samantha tossed the book neatly in the air. I caught it easily and sat on the recliner. Opening to the poem, I began to read:

**Out beyond this world lays another**

**Out beyond this world lay sisters and brothers,**

**Though not quite similar**

**Countless and copious, numbered and limited**

**Out beyond this world lays another**

**To see or not to see, with one's own eye naught**

**But with one's own heart, ye**

**Mere mortal eyes cannot perceive the unknown**

**Cannot see the unseen; but the heart can and will if one so allows it**

**Out beyond this world lays another**

**Out beyond this world lay sisters and brothers**

**Though not quite similar**

**Invisible are these to the eyes, but the heart perceives.**

Samantha and Johnny waited once I finished reading. We all waited with bated breaths.


	3. Consequences

**Here's chapter three! I know some people are reading this story even though they are not reviewing and that's the only reason why I'm updating. I know it's not all that interesting now but hopefully it will get better!**

**Chapter Three: Consequences**

I didn't know exactly what we were waiting for; something unexpected to happen, possibly. The wind outside continued howling, although louder than before; the whole house creaked and groaned, as if crying out in protest against the ailing winds. Samantha stood and flopped herself on the couch.

"What a waste of paper and trees; who is the author? I demand to know." I let out a humorless laugh. "There is no author; the poem itself declares its author unknown." Samantha snorted.

"The person probably knew what they were doing and didn't want anyone to know who he or she was." She turned her head and gazed outside. Before I could reply, the song Get Up, floated from my backpack. Grabbing the pack up, I rummaged through my belongings and grabbed my cell. I saw on the caller ID that it was Stella calling.

"Hello?" I answered.

"So, how is the sky looking Samantha?" Johnny asked. Samantha shrugged and glanced over at him. "Nothing special; the sky has gotten darker, the trees look as if they are about to be pulled out of their roots—"

"You call that nothing special'?" Johnny interrupted. Samantha scowled and returned her attention to the window.

"Thanks for calling Stells and I'm sorry for my snappy mood earlier." I was saying.

"_It's okay. No, not really. What happened anyway? Did you get in a fight with one of your friends?"_

"No, but they did piss me off but it's cool now," I added quickly when Johnny and Samantha looked over at me.

"_So what happened that made you blow your lid?" _I sighed.

"Well, it's really stupid. I feel stupid for letting it get to me like that but—" Samantha let out a piercing scream interrupting me mid-sentence. Johnny and I jumped, startled with the sudden sound.

"Samantha what is it?" I demanded the same time Johnny said, "What the hell?"

"_What? What is it? Who screamed?" _Stella demanded.

"I'm going to have to call you back Stell," I told my friend. I closed my cell with a _snap_ before Stella could even reply.

"Sammy, what's the matter?" I asked softly. Although Samantha hated when people called her Sammy (she claims it sounds girly), for some reason she allows me to call her that, though only sparingly. Samantha didn't answer; she had a stunned expression on her face, her mouth frozen in an _O_. I knew immediately that something was wrong. My heart stopped when I realized it must have something to do with the conditions outside. As if on cue the house began to quiver and shake, the howling winds transitioning into a deafening roar. The following events appeared as if in slow motion.

The roof ripped apart from the house, the sound similar to that of paper. Samantha, Johnny and I stared in utter amazement and terror. A gigantic, black tornado towered over us, sucking in objects within its perimeter. The sky was as dark as night, possibly even darker. I saw my friends and my belongings fly into the swirling vortex. I felt myself feeling lighter and realized the chair was rising! I jumped off the chair and watched as it flew swiftly into the obsidian, night sky.

Samantha let out an ear-piercing scream as the couch catapulted off the floor. Johnny reached out and grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling her towards himself so that they both fell to the ground. I couldn't believe what was happening; I saw this kind of thing in movies and on TV but never in my life would I imagine this happening to me.

My feet began to move across the carpet, without my doing so. _What?_ I thought, startled, _What's going on? Why am I being dragged as if I'm being sucked into—_I stopped that train of thought almost immediately.

"Help me!" I cried feebly over the uproarious winds. "Help me! I'm being sucked in! It's going to suck me in!" I knew I was going into full-fledged panic mode but I couldn't help it! If I didn't do something soon I'd get swallowed in by the tornado!

"Oh," I moaned searching around for something to hold onto, but everything I laid eyes on seemed to disappear in an instant. _The tornado is sucking in everything!_ I thought, despairingly. Pretty soon it'll suck the whole house in, along with me. I felt tears spill over my face. I'm going to die, I thought, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die and my friends will, too. I remembered how I said I was going to call Stella back later. Now, I'll never call anyone back again.

I felt myself being lifted and a _whoosh_ of wind pass through me.

"_Grace!"_ A voice shouted, the sound cutting through the cacophony of the winds. I looked and saw Samantha fly toward me, one arm outstretched. I realized the other arm was holding Johnny.

"_Samantha!"_ I cried stretching out my own hand. "Samantha! Samantha, help me!"

"I will just grab hold!" Samantha cried attempting to stretch her arm out further. Both of our fingers were in close proximity with each other, almost touching, until a strong force, which I would never forget felt like a solid hand, had pulled me into the spiraling whirlwind.


	4. The Otherworld

**Chapter Four: The Otherworld**

_What happened? Am I dead? Am I alive? Where am I?_ I looked around but saw that I was surrounded in complete and total darkness. I felt as if I was a blind person. Am I dead? Is this what death is like? Where are my friends?

"Samantha? Johnny? Where are you guys?" I called out in the dark. There was no reply; I heard nothing but my hitched breathing. Without thinking I began to run; where exactly, I did not know. What I did know was I had to get out of this blackness, I had to find someplace with light. _This isn't death is it? No, it can't be. So where am I?!_

I stopped running when I heard something—footsteps. I whirled around in the direction of the sound. There's somebody else here!

"Samantha? Johnny?" I took a tentative step forward and stopped to listen.

"_Out beyond this world lies another… though not quite similar to our own…"_ The voice was a whisper that floated softly toward me. There was something eerily creepy about the voice. I strained my ears to hear more.

"_Out beyond this world lies another… out beyond this world lie sisters and brothers, though not quite similar…"_ I gasped with realization. The person was reciting the poem in the book _The Otherworld_! Taking a couple steps backward, the voice spoke louder.

"_You've been warned, little girl. You and your friends; but you just didn't listen, and now you're paying the consequences."_ Huh? What is this person talking about? From the sound of the person's voice I deduced the person was a male.

"_Did you not read the warning? It clearly said __**'WARNING! DO NOT READ ALOUD! DO **_**NOT **_**READ ALOUD!**_ _You have been warned, miss. You and your friends."_

"W-who are you?" I demanded. "And how did you know that? How do you know that poem?!" The person didn't reply; the footsteps had stopped. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck and arms rise. I screamed when someone cloaked in a snow-white robe appeared as if in thin air. The boy was the most handsome, most beautiful guy I had ever seen in my life. My heart literally skipped a beat. The boy had golden-yellow hair which contrasted significantly against the darkness. His eyes were of liquid topaz that seemed to shine brightly.

His face was pale, ghostly white. Almost as white as the robe. The boy looked around my age, if not older.

"How you ask?" The boy replied, "I read the book myself." My eyes widened. I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

"W-what?" I finally choked out.

"I, too, read the book _The Otherworld_. An interesting book, is it not?"

"I—I—"

"I read the book," the boy went on as if I hadn't spoken, "I read it out loud to my friends." The boy made a scornful sound.

"Don't… don't tell me," I said, my eyes widening, "you and your friends got sucked into a tornado and…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Correct. We were sucked in and when I came to I found myself staring into literal nothingness." He kicked the ground, "I also couldn't find my friends anywhere. That book was the real deal but I made a mockery out of it."

"I thought it was all a joke, too!" I cried, "I thought… I thought it was all a joke…" My voice cracked on the end. I crumbled to my knees and buried my head in my hands. I let out a howl that rang throughout the darkness and continued echoing endlessly.

"I want to leave! I want to go home!" I shouted pounding the ground with my fists.

"You can't go home," the boy told me softly.

"How long?" I demanded. "How long have you been here?"

"Time is irrelevant here; I can't even tell you what the estimate is—"

"I don't care!" I shouted, getting up, "I don't care! I'm not going to spend my entire life here! I'm leaving!"

"Where?" The boy demanded. "Just where can you go? Do you not think if there was a way to leave I would be here right now?"

"I don't care. I'll… I'll find a way!" The boy snickered.

"Good luck, because I tried everything." I ignored him and turned my back on the boy, pondering my dilemma. _Ok,_ _obviously running around in the void unknown would do me no good; I'm sure the boy has tried that._ Suddenly I thought of an idea.I turned to the boy who was staring at me curiously.

"You said you tried everything?" I queried. The boy tilted his head to one side.

"I believe so, yes." My heart sped up a bit.

"Do you know the poem from the book by memory?"

"Memory?" The boy tilted his head back to its normal angle, "Yes."

"Ok, now answer me this: what is the main idea of that poem?"

"Main idea? Hm… I believe it is quite obvious. The author is claiming there are other worlds out there beside our own. Whether another race inhabits said worlds or whether there are other human beings out there who have magical powers… who knows?"

"Uh-huh, and how are we supposed to see these worlds?" The boy frowned.

"How am I supposed to answer that?"

"The poem! The poem has the answer to the question. Look, what was that line? Mortal eyes… something about the heart…."

"Mere mortal eyes cannot perceive the unknown but the heart can and will if one so allows it."

"Right! The heart! We can't see these worlds physically with our eyes." I said.

"So, what are you suggesting?" I sighed, feeling slightly exasperated.

"I think it's obvious! As cheesy as it sounds we have to open our hearts and if we do so we just might get out of here!" The boy gazed at me for a long moment before shrugging.

"Okay, I'll believe. Why don't we give it a shot?"

"Okay…" I closed my eyes and he did the same. _This darkness separates our world from others. Now, if we only wish for our hearts to open we can escape. _I bit my lip, and closed my eyes even tighter. A blinding, white light flashed around us. I gasped, my eyes flying open. I saw the boy, his violet eyes wide, his white robe flowing behind him and his lips parted, forming an oval shaped_ O_.

We were flying. I didn't know where exactly but I did know that the darkness was finally behind us.

"You actually did it," the boy spoke softly. I smiled.

"Whatever I want, I usually get." I answered. This wasn't really true but the boy smiled anyway, a heart-stopping smile.

"I'm sure we'll meet again. Sometime in the future." Huh? What is he talking about? Before I could ask the boy was swept away and disappeared in the blinding light.

"Wait!" I called after him. "Where are you going?! Don't leave me alone!" I cried as I felt myself being pulled in the opposite direction.

**Who can guess what world the boy belongs to? Go ahead, guess! ;)**


	5. One Piece

**Disclaimers: I do not own One Piece but I do own my OC's**

**Chapter Five: One Piece**

"Ah! It's such a beautiful day!" Ashton Reeses exclaimed, stretching his arms above his head and resting them on the ship's railing.

"Yeah, I know what you mean!" Ashton's best friend, Dalton Fear, said folding his arms on the rails and lying his head on top. The weather was depicted exactly as the boys claimed; the sky was a cloudless, clear blue. The ocean reflecting the sky looked translucent and pure. A salty breeze blew past and massaged the boys' faces as they enjoyed the feeling and view.

"This. Is. Awesome." The boys said simultaneously. They both had their eyes closed as they enjoyed the ocean's breeze. Ashton's eyes flew open suddenly, perking his head up a bit.

"What is it, Ashton?" Dalton queried in a lazy tone, his eyes still closed.

"I think I hear somebody screaming… do you hear it?"

"I don't hear anything."

"Are you sure? Because I'm hearing something," Ashton insisted. Dalton slowly opened his eyes, his face sleepy.

"Hm? Really? How can you hear anything over the ocean breeze and rushing water?" Dalton asked, giving out a big yawn and closing his eyes once more.

"I don't know I just do. Listen," Ashton cupped one of his ears and tried to listen intently. Dalton still had his eyes closed and was breathing a bit loudly. He was sleeping. Ashton continued listening to the sound he know he heard, trying to pinpoint its direction. The sound was faint but was becoming louder with each passing second. _Where's that noise coming from? It definitely sounds as if someone is yelling._

Ashton decided to shut up mentally and continued concentrating on the sound. The noise was now loud enough for people with average hearing to perceive. Dalton's eyes fluttered momentarily and he glanced at Ashton's way who still had his ear cupped.

"Ashton, what the hell—"

"Wait! Dalton, look! There's someone falling from the sky!" Ashton cried out.

"What?" Dalton looked up and indeed saw someone heading straight towards them!

"W-what do we do? Is she an enemy?" Ashton asked in a panicky voice.

"She?"

"Can you not see that it is a female?" Before Dalton could reply a sharp voice interrupted them. Specifically a female voice.

"Help me!" The person cried. Ashton and Dalton didn't even have time to blink before the person crash landed on the ship. The impact caused the ship to rock back and forth several times before calmly resting.

* * *

"Whoa, whoa! What's going on? Are we being attacked?" A man with a shiny, bald head called out. The pirates sitting in the mess hall had to grab onto tables, walls or any other stationary object to keep them from falling.

"The Marines must be attacking us! There's no way another pirate crew would attack _us_," another man reasoned. The rest of the pirates agreed, grumbling angrily about their messed up lunch.

"Let's go and attack them back!" Someone cried. The entire mess hall was filled with angry shouts and violent footsteps as they marched out the door.

* * *

"What? What's happening?" Starla Sasaki asked as her sword clattered to the ground and she nearly falling over herself. Books toppled off her bookshelf and her wastebasket fell over, spilling trash. Her pens and pencils from her study also fell to the floor, adding to the mess. _What's going on? Are we being attacked? Did we hit rough waters?_ There was only one way to find out.

**Grace's POV**

_I'm… I'm alive? Yes, I'm alive! Strangely that fall didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would,_ I thought opening my eyes. I was looking directly at the sky which was cloudless and looked clear. I sat up and looked around, realizing I had fallen on a ship. I also realized I was sitting on something.

"Oh!" I cried out, immediately scrambling off. Two boys who looked around my age were both knocked out, their eyes filled with swirls.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry! You guys aren't dead… are you?" I asked, fear catching in my throat.

"Hey, get a hold of yourself! Hang in there, okay? Just please don't die on me!" I pleaded, shaking the both of them. One of them had fiery red hair while the other was flaxen, similar to the boy's hair color I had previously met.

"Oi, who are you and what did you do to our comrades?" A bellowing voice demanded. I whirled around, eyes wide and saw a horde of men carrying swords and guns. My eyes widened to the size of saucers. The men looked ready to kill!_ Whoa, do they want to kill _me?

"No, wait," I started, standing up slowly, my hand up as if to defend myself, "I didn't do what you think, I mean I didn't _mean_ to… it just happened…?"

"Don't screw with us! Did you come here to take us down? You? By yourself?" One person cried, his sword raised.

"No, no! Of course not, I would—I don't even know what happened, I just fell from the sky—"

"The sky? Are you screwing with us, girlie?" Another person interrupted. _Argh! Nothing I say can convince them that I'm not a threat. What can I do? Jump overboard?_ The idea was slightly more appealing than the violent group of men. Only slightly though.

"Wait!" A female voice called, cutting through the cacophony of the noise. Everyone immediately fell quiet. The sound of footsteps could only be heard and from what I could discern the person was wearing high heels. I waited with dreaded fear as the _click-click_ approached with each step. Finally, a woman emerged from the crowd. My eyes grew wide as I took in the woman's appearance. She had vivid purple hair that went along with her violet eyes. She wore a white V-neck and faded blue jeans. She was carrying a long sword at her waist; the sheath dragging as she walked.

Her violet-colored eyes narrowed as she appraised me.

"So, who are you?" she asked coolly.

"U-uh… my names Grace Seafeld and I, well—" There was a loud audible groan from behind me. I looked behind me to see the red-haired boy stir. His eyes opened, fluttering slightly.

"Oh…" he moaned sitting up, wincing, "What happened?" His eyes jumped from the crowd of men, to the woman and then to me. His eyes narrowed when they landed on me.

"Hey, you're the girl who crash landed into us!" I blushed a deep red.

"Y-yeah, and I apologize for that,"

"What? You mean she really did fall from the sky?" One person asked.

"Yo, Ashton, wake up!" The red-haired boy said, shaking his friend. The flaxen-haired boy stirred slightly and opened his eyes halfway.

"Can I have fries with that?" he asked groggily. _SMACK!_

"Wake up, you idiot," Red-hair growled. The flaxen-haired boy sat up abruptly.

"Whoa, I'm still alive?" I blushed a deeper shade of red.

"I'm sorry, I, well…" I wanted to explain my dilemma but what are the chances they'll believe me?

"Grace," a curt voice called. I turned around to see the lady's still narrowed eyes glaring at me. "Where did you come from?"

"USA," I replied without hesitation. The woman raised an eyebrow. There was a ripple of murmurs among the crowd as the men spoke amongst themselves.

"Quiet!" The lady demanded. Everyone immediately quieted down.

"USA?"

"Yeah, the good ol' USA. The United States of America. The home of the brave," I could have gone on and on but decided to stop when I saw that the lady was getting more and more irritated.

"I've never heard of this… USA. Is it your country?" Golden-haired boy asked._ Huh?_ I turned to the boy, wondering whether or not he was joking. From the look on his face, he wasn't.

"Uh, yeah,"

"What Blue did you come from?" The woman queried. I faced the woman once more, not helping getting irritated myself. What is this, twenty questions? And what the hell does she mean _'What Blue did I come from?'_ What the hell is a Blue? The woman tapped her heels impatiently on the deck. "Well, are you going to answer or not?" _Well…._ I opened my mouth to respond when I was interrupted by an unexpected source.

_Get up, cause you can't stop. Get up, got a lot to do; 24 hours almost gone. Get up, don't sit there. Get up, if you wanna get there; clocks don't stop and time won't wait. _The song filled the air despite it sounding a bit muffled. I gasped when I realized it was my cell phone. I dug into my pocket and brought out my cell. The woman's eyebrows lifted slightly when I brought out my cell phone, the song Get Up still playing. On the caller ID I saw it was from an unknown number.

"Excuse me. I have to take this," I pressed enter and put the phone to my ear.

"Oooh? What's that?" The red-haired boy asked, intrigued. Everyone else was equally curious; they had never seen the item before.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"_Grace? Thank God you're okay!"_ A female voice cried exuberantly. My eyes widened when I recognized the person's voice.

"Samantha! Oh, I'm so glad to hear from you! I take it you're okay as well?"

"_Yeah, yeah I'm fine… sort of,"_

"Are you hurt?" I questioned with worry.

"_No, I'm not hurt. Grace, do you know where you are?"_

"Uh… I'm on a ship."

"_A ship?"_

"Yeah, where are you?"

"_I don't know. I woke up and found myself in at a train station. What I _do_ know is I don't think I'm in Maryland anymore." _You and me both, sister.

"Wait, don't tell me. You were able to escape the void unknown and uh, appeared in an entirely different place."

"_You got it on the dot. I'm assuming the same happened to you?"_

"Yup. I believe it is that stupid book's fault."

"_I believe so, too. Huh? Oh, fine I'm getting off. Listen, I have to go."_

"What? Why?"

"_I'm using somebody else's phone and they're starting to get stingy. What? I'm getting off now! Anyways, I have to go now. Don't call this number back, okay? Okay, bye!"_ Click! I wanted to ask more questions like whether she knows Johnny was safe but that will have to wait for later. I'm just happy that I know Samantha is safe.

"Awesome!" I heard a loud voice from behind me. I turned and saw the two boys oogling at my phone.

"Eh? You mean this?" I held up my Razr, "Haven't you seen a cell phone before?"

"Cell phone?" The entire crew said simultaneously.

"Ehhh? You never heard of cell phones?"

"This cell phone of yours seems similar to a small Den Den Mushi," The lady told me, gazing at the phone with inquiring eyes. Wait, what?

"Den Den… Mushi?" I repeated, not quite sure if I had heard correctly. _Doesn't that term come from One Piece?_ I thought replacing my phone in my pocket. I bowed lowly at the waist, Japanese style.

"I apologize for my intrusion. But I can assure you that I am of no threat," Before the lady could reply another voice cut through the air.

"Alright Starla, I believe that is enough of the interrogation questions," the voice said. The woman named Starla twitched slightly.

"You stay out of this Aki," she snarled. A man with shaggy black hair and chocolate brown eyes appeared from the crowd. He also carried two swords; one sheathed at his waist while the other on his back. He seemed to have a scary aura about him. I could tell because the men parted like the Red Sea for the guy.

He gave me an appraising look, looking me up and down. I tried my best not to feel uncomfortable or awkward. But that plan failed when my stomach began growling. I felt my face gradually grow warmer as my stomach continued making gurgling noise. Aki let out a laugh.

"Hungry, are you? Well, come along. I'm sure Mazarin can whip up something for ya,"

"Hold it! Just what do you think you're doing, Aki?" Starla demanded.

"What? I'm simply going to feed the kid. Since when is that a crime?" Aki answered simply. "Come along now, girl. Let's hurry and get you something to eat before you keel over." I gratefully followed after the young man, avoiding Starla's glowering stare.


	6. What! I'm in the One Piece World!

**Here's chapter six! SPOILER WARNING! For those who are not up to date with the manga there is a huge spoiler in this chapter concerning Ace.**

**Disclaimers: I do not own One Piece but OC's are mine  
**

**Chapter Six: What?! I'm in the One Piece World?!**

"Thank you! That was a very delicious meal!" I complimented wiping my face with a napkin. The cook named Mazarin grinned, his eyes shining.

"You're very welcome, love. Are you still hungry for more?" I shook my head and gave the cook a smile. "No, I'm good for now. Thank you," Mazarin nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Hey Grace, Grace!" Dalton called sliding a seat beside me. His friend, Ashton took a seat on the other side of me.

"Hey, guys. Look, I am _so_ sorry that I nearly killed you,"

"No sweat. It'll take more than that to kill _us_," Dalton boasted, puffing out his chest.

"Anyways, we're not here to talk about that. We're curious about where you came from," Ashton told me.

"Oh yeah. You guys acted as if you've never heard of the United States of America,"

"We haven't," Dalton told me. It took quite a few seconds for me to reign in my shock.

"How can that be? How can you _not_ know about the U.S?" Dalton and Ashton both shared a glance and then shrugged.

"We just don't." They replied simultaneously.

"That's why I'm asking how can you _not?_ I mean we're—wait, is that a tattoo of Whitebeard on your arm?" I asked pointing at Dalton's arm. He had Whitebeard's trademark symbol at the top of his arm, exactly like Ace's tattoo, only smaller. A mini version, you can call it.

"Yup," Dalton answered with pride.

"Wow… I see. You must be a hardcore One Piece fan to actually go and get a tattoo of Whitebeard's!"

"Huh?" Dalton asked, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.

"I'm also a huge fan of Whitebeard, too," I giggled, "His second division commander is pretty cool and hot, too." Ashton's eyes widened with surprise and something else I couldn't detect.

"You mean Ace?" I nodded and began giggling like a lovesick fangirl. I sighed dreamily.

"He's so amazing. When he first made his appearance I…" More giggles. "I think I fell in love. He was immediately one of my most favorite characters and—" I stopped, biting my lip. "And then he… he…" I buried my head in my hands, my shoulders quaking, "he _died!_ He died because he protected his little brother Luffy and then Whitebeard…" By now my silent sobs transitioned to full-blown tears. Ashton politely handed me a tissue. I blew into it and sniffled then blew into it once more.

"Thank you," I murmured, putting the tissue on the table.

"What's going on? Why is the girl crying?" Mazarin asked, appearing from the kitchen and bringing out a plate heaping with food. Dalton and Ashton kept quiet, not sure of what to say. I shook my head and gave Mazarin a faint smile.

"It's nothing, Mazarin-san. At least, nothing serious." That's when Dalton couldn't take it anymore.

"Nothing serious? Nothing _serious?!_" The boy cried, jumping up. "You're claiming that Ace-san is dead and something terrible happened to the old man and yet you say that it's nothing serious?!" I stared at the enraged boy with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

"What—?" I began but was interrupted once more.

"Cut the crap! Just what the hell are you talking about, huh?" Dalton demanded, his red eyes flashing.

"Whoa, wait! You didn't… you didn't know about that?" By now everyone had stopped with their conversations and had gone quiet, looking over in our direction.

"Oh… oh Dalton I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ruin the story for you, honestly. I," I flicked a glance at his shoulder and then back at his face, "I thought you knew. Look, I'm just a big of a fan of Ace and Whitebeard as you," I glanced once more at the tattoo and rephrased my statement. "Okay, maybe not as big but I understand how you feel, really I do. I can't believe they're gone either…"

"Exactly who is gone? What's going on?" A voice asked. Everyone, including myself, turned to the owner of the voice and I nearly had a heart attack. Standing in the doorway of the mess hall was Portgas D. Ace in the flesh (literally, he had no shirt on) along with the woman I had met earlier, Starla. I didn't speak, I _couldn't_ speak. How could I? The subject of the topic was standing right in front of me! Not literally, but you get the idea.

Starla jabbed a finger in my direction and said, "That's the girl who fell from the sky. We have no idea whether or not she's an enemy due to a certain someone." She glared at Aki who was stuffing his face with food, completely ignoring the woman. Ace let out a chuckle and took a seat at a table.

"Is that so? Hey, Mazarin,"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Mazarin replied setting in front of Ace a plate piled high with food. "Don't worry. I have more whipped up in the kitchen," Mazarin said, chuckling when Ace gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, great, just keep it coming!" Ace said, snarfing down the food.

"Wait," I spoke without thinking, getting up. Everyone then returned their attention back to me as I stood, mouth agape and eyes as wide as saucers. If that's the true Ace… then…. I looked over at Dalton or, more specifically, his tattoo and felt ready to faint. Now I understood Dalton's anger! He wasn't a hardcore One Piece fan like I assumed, he was an actual pirate of the Whitebeard Pirates! My face went literally white as I became aware of my situation; I am on Whitebeard's infamous ship, the Moby Dick. Everyone around me were children of Whitebeard, including….

I slowly cranked my head back to Ace's direction, who was still snarfing down food with abandon—just like in the anime show One Piece. _No, no, it can't be… I won't believe_ _it…._

"Hey," Ace said looking over at me, "what is—?" He stopped talking when his head fell into his plate of food, his fork paused in mid-air. A few seconds passed when the familiar sound of snoring filled the air. I gazed at the boy for a few more seconds before passing out myself, all the while thinking, _oh no! I've transported into the One Piece world! And of all places landed on the ship of one of the Four Emperors of the sea!_


	7. Dilemma

**Sorry for taking so long to update! Here's chapter seven! Disclaimers: I do not own One Piece or its characters but OC's belong to moi. Also there's another spoiler in here from the previous chapter.**

**Chapter Seven: Dilemma**

"Grace? Grace? Hey, wake up!" A female voice called. _Huh?_ "Grace! Grace, what do you think you're doing? Get up!" _What? Who? Who is that? Who's calling me?_ "What are you muttering about? I can't understand you! Get up!" _Muttering? Oh, that's right. Mom did say I sometimes talk in my sleep._

"Is she awake yet?" A male voice asked.

"Does she _look_ awake to you?" The female voice snapped.

"Hey, I was just asking a simple yes or no question!"

"More like a _stupid_ yes or no question!" The female retorted. My eyes snapped open and I saw Johnny and Samantha locked together in a comical-fashion fight. I sat upright, noticing I was in my living room lying on the living room recliner.

"Johnny! Samantha! You guys are okay!" I cried, tears springing my eyes. Samantha knocked Johnny to the ground and whirled to me.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course we're okay!"

"No, I mean, wait! What happened to the house?!" Everything was in neat, tidying order, nothing out of place. "Didn't a tornado blow through here? It did, didn't it? A huge, black tornado?" Samantha stared at me with a confused look on her face.

"Tornado? What are you talking about?"

"The tornado tore the roof off," I said looking at the ceiling, half-expecting to see the sky. However, the roof was firmly in place.

"That must have been one crazy dream you had there, Grace." Johnny commented, getting up and dusting himself off. Samantha nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it must have been a dream. There were no tornadoes here; it's a beautiful day outside, have you forgotten?"

"But the weather made a complete 180… there were howling winds—"

"Grace," Samantha interrupted with a gentle voice, "it was just a dream. You were dreaming." A dream? I dreamt that a huge tornado sucked in everyone and everything? I dreamt I had met the most beautiful and most handsome guy in my life who was in the same predicament as me? I dreamt that I landed in the One Piece world? On Whitebeard's ship, of all places? I dreamt all of that? If that's the case why did it feel so real? Dreams aren't supposed to feel that real… were they?

"Grace? Yoo-hoo, Graaace," Samantha said, waving a hand in my face, "You okay there, friend?" I blinked several times.

"Huh? Oh, um, I… I have no idea it's just…" My vision started to become blurry with tears, "You guys! I thought I would never see you again!" I went and hugged them both, startling them.

"Um, okay, whatever. Let's finish studying, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah! Let's finish," I agreed flopping on the recliner once more and opening my backpack. I was startled with what I beheld inside. Inside it looked like I had the entire universe in my bag. I saw stars, planets even the Milky Way! _Huh? What is this?_ I wondered. Suddenly a shadowy, black hand, one as dark as night, materialized out of the bag and grabbed hold of my neck, choking me.

"What the—?!" I cried grabbing at the hand. Its grip on me only tightened. I let out a choking gasp.

"Saman…tha! John…ny!" I gasped out, turning towards my friends with great difficulty. But Samantha and Johnny were nowhere to be found. _Samantha? Johnny? Where are you?_ The shadowy hand's grip tightened to the point where I could no longer suck in air. My arms fell limp at my sides. Dots began dancing in my view and before I knew it I couldn't see anything at all.

**---**

I gasped, my eyes flying open and my hands reaching for my neck. I expected for the shadowy black hand to still be there. I stayed still for a few minutes so I could allow myself to calm down. I realized I was lying in bed. My hands slowly withdrew from my neck and I stared up at the ceiling. _A dream… it was only a dream._ Or was it? What if I'm in another dream? I mean, am I really in the One Piece world?

I closed my eyes when the events from before started flooding back into my memory. That's right. I was in the One Piece world on the Moby Dick. Whitebeard's ship. And not only that but…. I smacked my hands to my forehead, my face heating up. I told Dalton that Ace had died and nearly told him about Whitebeard's demise. _So… what? Ace is still alive? _

I made a loud groan and turned on my side. I was in a small room that appeared dull and barren. The only furniture was a study desk and a bookshelf void of books. A porthole above the desk was opened and allowed a soft breeze to blow in. I could also hear the gentle _whoosh_ of the waves outside. I threw the blanket that covered me off and climbed off the bed.

Okay, so I had to get out of here and fast. How did I plan on doing that? Simple, I find a small boat and get away. Easy as pie, at least that is what I am hoping, anyway. I strode towards the door and was about to open it when I heard several voices outside the door.

"Hey, this game is pretty cool," a male voice said. I recognized the voice as Dalton. I leaned slightly against the door's frame.

"Really? Well, I wouldn't know because I haven't got to play it!" another male voice said, complaining. Ashton. _What are those two talking about?_ I wondered, pressing my ear to the door.

"Come on, let me play!" Ashton said.

"Okay, you will! Just let me finish…"

"You said that like half an hour ago!"

"That's only because I'm not finished!"

"Just what do you think you two are doing?" A female's voice demanded. Starla.

"Starla! Oh, uh… we were just… keeping watch for Grace," Dalton replied.

"Why?"

"There are a few questions we would like to ask her when she wakes up," Ashton responded. I closed my eyes, silently cursing to myself. Of _course_ they want to ask me questions; I told him that his second division commander _died_ and was about to say the same for Whitebeard. No doubt everyone is suspicious of me _now._ I sighed and trudged back over to the bed, sitting on top of it. What can I say? What can I say that will make them believe me and not kill me? I didn't hear Starla's reply to Ashton's response, if she made one, but the _tap-tap_ of her heels faded as she walked away.

An hour has now passed by and I was still thinking long and hard at my dilemma. The voices outside were long gone. I tapped my shoe lightly on the floor, my eyes shut tight, trying to come up with a solution. And then it hit me. I snapped my eyes open, a pleased smile on my face. _I know how to get out of this problem! How could I _not_ have thought of this sooner?! _

I heard the sound of the door knob turning. I immediately buried myself under the covers and pretended like I was asleep. The door opened and I heard the shuffling of footsteps. _At least I know it's not Starla,_ I thought with slight relief. The person's footsteps approached closer and I could tell the person was hovering over me. I just pretended like I was sleeping peacefully by keeping my breathing even.

After about a few moments, I began to stir and rolled over, my eyes still closed. I heard the person's footsteps retreating.

"She's still asleep, eh?" I nearly snapped my eyes open. _Marco! That's Marco's voice! _I thought with amazement.

"Yeah..." A male's voice answered. Dalton. "Hey, Marco… what do you think of the girl? She fell from the sky, began talking about Ace-san and Pops… what do you think?" It was silent for a minute. I realized I was holding my breath in waiting for Marco's response. I slowly let it out and continued with my breathing pattern.

"I don't know, eh. She's a true mystery for sure. However, it wouldn't matter if she was an enemy; she wouldn't be able to take down the Whitebeard Pirates." Dalton didn't respond but I could imagine him nodding his head.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Oh and before I forget, have you ever heard of a place called the United States of… Amerika?" I coughed, stirred a little then went back to my patterned breathing.

"Come on, eh? We don't want to disturb her," Marco said already leaving the room. Dalton followed and closed the door behind him. I stayed still for a couple of moments, listening to the gentle sounds of the waves. _Okay, now is the time to put my plan in action!_


	8. Getaway Fail!

**Ack! Upon reading this I realized I had repeated myself from the previous chapter about how Grace was going to try and escape. I went back and fixed that small problem. Sorry!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own One Piece or its characters but OC's are mine.**

**Chapter Eight: Getaway Fail!**

_Silently,_ I thought peering around the corner. No one in sight. I ran quietly down the empty hall, keeping vigilant of any wanderers. It was now nighttime and I could hear the jovial shouts of the Whitebeard Pirates. They seemed to be celebrating about something but I didn't think it important enough for me to care exactly what they were celebrating about. What I _thought_ was important, however, was the fact that I needed to get the hell out of here!

I continued running stealthily down the hall and stopped when I reached the end. I heard loud drunken laughter and slurring language. I pressed myself against the wall and prayed that whoever was approaching was so drunk they would believe I was some kind of decoration. It worked. Three men, laughing and hooting, passed by me without a glance my way. Once they were gone, I continued on my getaway. I stopped at another corner and peered around it. I felt my eyes widen at the site I beheld. A boat! It was a small rowboat!

"Yes," I whispered triumphantly and quickly ran over to it. A grayish tarp covered the boat and four strong, thick ropes suspended it. I threw the tarp overboard and hopped inside. I found two oars within the boat and could barely contain my glee. _Okay, now all I have to do is cut the ropes and then I can set sail!_ That was easier said than done; I didn't have anything I could cut with on me. _Fine, I'll just untie the ropes then,_ I thought standing up and working on one of the knots. Again, simpler said than done.

I tried to the best of my ability of untying the knot but soon found it impossible because the knot was too big. I gasped out a few breaths before sitting on the wooden seats._ Crap! Now what do I do? _There's only one thing _to_ do—I needed to find a knife or something sharp to cut these ropes. Except the thing is I threw the tarp overboard (smart move) and now if anybody were to pass by they would see boat uncovered and would become suspicious.

_Great!_ I groaned inwardly. _Now what do I do?_ Then I thought of an idea. Not the most brilliant idea and it's probably not the most effective either, but it's an idea all the same. I stood up, grabbed hold on one of the ropes and began swinging. I swung back and forth slowly. The momentum of the boat was gradual; first it was slow, then moderate and now it felt like a playground swing going full, well, swing. I was hoping the ropes would break and I would fall into the ocean.

I continued rocking back and forth for a few more minutes until I heard a tearing sound. I looked at the rope I was holding on to and saw that indeed it was tearing. Yes! Success! But the rope was tearing only slightly. I had to swing harder, so I did. And then it happened. The rope finally broke, but only the one I held onto. Of course this caused an imbalance in how the boat was held. I let out a shriek as the boat tilted to the side a little, with me nearly flying into the ocean.

_Okay, okay, I'm okay, _I began slowly breathing in and out, trying to calm my racing heart. Phew, that was close; I could have actually—_Riiiip!_ The rope that held the back of the boat tore, thus causing the boat to tip entirely to the side and me flailing all the way down into the water. I let out a huge, bloodcurdling scream as I plunged into the icy, cold waters. It felt as if I had hit cement. Floating in the frigid water, I was dazed for a few moments but the shock of the icy water snapped me out of it. I swam upward and resurfaced, spitting out a mouthful of seawater.

"Oi! Are you okay?" A voice called out. I looked up at the Moby Dick and saw Ashton, Dalton and several other members of the WB Pirates. The first and second commanders included. Despite the chilly temperature of the ocean, I felt my face heat up and wanted more than anything to dive back down underwater. A red tube was thrown in the ocean beside me.

"Grab hold and we'll pull in!" Marco told me. I stared at the life-saving device for a long moment, oscillating between climbing back aboard the ship I was previously trying to escape from or remain in the water and become food for Sea Kings. Hmm… what to choose, what to choose.

"Oi! You better hurry before you freeze to death!" Dalton shouted. Oh, a third option! I grabbed hold of the tube and clung tight on it as the men pulled me up. Two men helped pull me onto the ship's deck.

"Here's a towel," Ashton said to a shivering me, handing me a fluffy white towel. I wrapped it around myself, grateful with the warmth it supplied. Ace appeared beside me, dressed in his usual attire: black shorts and shoes, beaded red necklace along with his trademark orange cowboy hat. And of course he was shirtless. He smiled down at me (I'm a few inches shorter than him) and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, coloring them. I glanced away.

"Oi, Starla, you think you can lend…"

"Grace," I supplied.

"Grace, some of your clothes?" Ace asked looking over me. I heard the familiar tapping of heels and seconds later Starla appeared from the crowd, an ugly scowl etched on her beautiful face. She was still wearing the plain white V-neck and faded blue jeans; however, her sword was nowhere to be found. I guess that's a good thing considering she looked as if she wanted to murder someone (particularly me) at the moment.

"Why the hell should I?" she demanded.

"Because you're the only woman on this ship?" Dalton replied, snickering.

"What about the nurses?" Ashton queried. Dalton paused before responding with, "They do not count." As Ashton and Dalton began arguing, Starla threw me a glare and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Why should I lend her my clothes when she got herself wet?"

"Starla," Marco started in a warning tone. Starla's violet eyes flashed angrily and indignantly. She turned on her heel, pushing her way through the crowd.

"Follow me, brat!" She spat, the tapping of her heels fading. Marco sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. "Just go straight until you reach a dead end, and then make a right. Her room would be the sixth door."

"Okay, thanks." I said smiling. I wrapped the now damp towel tighter around me. The crowd began to disperse leaving only Marco and Ace. Ashton and Dalton were nowhere to be found.

"Come on Ace, eh, Pops said he needed to see all division commanders." Marco told the second division commander.

"Oh, right. See ya, Grace." Ace said to me waving. I waved back shyly as the two commanders walked in the opposite direction, both speaking in quiet volumes. I now stood there alone, freezing and soaking wet. My shoulders sagged in exhaustion and defeat; I could guess why Whitebeard wanted the division commanders to meet. _It must be about me,_ I thought trudging my way towards Starla's quarters.

As I entered the hallway where Starla's room was supposedly located, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. I looked behind me only to be assaulted by darkness.

"Hey! What—?" I cried before my mouth was gagged and hands bound. _What? What's going on?_ I thought, panic and terror striking my heart. The perpetrator bounded my legs together as well and then hefted me, I assume, on his shoulder. All the while I tried fighting and screaming but my efforts were futile. _Oh no, what is he going to do to me?_ I wondered horror and terror washing over me. _Who is this person and what do they want with me?_

_Get up, cause you can't stop. Get up, got a lot to do; 24 hours almost gone. Get up, don't sit there. Get up, if you wanna get there; clocks don't stop and time won't wait._ I took in a sharp breath as my cell phone's ring tone played in the air. _My phone! That's my phone! But who—?_

"Damn it Ashton! Didn't I tell you to cut that thing off?" An angry voice demanded. _Dalton!_

"That's easier said than done!" Ashton snapped back, "I don't know where the off button on this thing is!" The song Get Up continued playing. I squirmed and wriggled to the point where Dalton accidentally dropped me.

"Oof!" I yelped, my cry stifled due to the gag.

"You see what you did? You gave us away!" Dalton was shouting.

"I already told you this idea was stupid. Let's just take her to your room so we can interrogate her. She would have figured who we were anyway." Ashton responded grabbing my shoulders and pulling me up to my feet easily. _Wait, what? Interrogate? Why? What did I—oh, wait...._ I remembered my declaration of Ace's death and how Dalton wanted to question me on that topic. _Alright since Plan A failed I'll just have to go along with Plan B!_ And this plan is guaranteed to work this time. If it doesn't, I'm screwed because I have no Plan C.

**So, what do you think? I somewhat enjoyed writing this chapter. Not as much as chapter six, but close. Please R&R! Also, thank you to those who have reviewed! I really do appreciate your taking the time to actually comment on my story.**


	9. Plan B

**Hey everyone! I know this chapter is really, really, _really_ short compared to my others but there's a purpose. I'll try and get chapter ten up as fast as I can. The next chapter would be the meeting of the division commanders and Whitebeard. I'll also continue with this situation in chapter ten. Before I forget, thank you to those who reviewed! I definitely appreciate ya.**

**Disclaimers: All One Piece characters belong to Oda while the rest belong to me.  
**

**Chapter Nine: Plan B**

I heard the sound of a door opening and Ashton pushed me from behind. I would be glaring and possibly cursing at the two pirates if it weren't for the blindfold and gag.

"Okay, sit her down there." Dalton told Ashton. Ashton pulled me forward and then had me sit down on, I'm assuming, a chair.

"Alright now tie this around her so she won't escape. And when you're done with that you can take off her blindfold and gag." Dalton instructed.

"Why should _I_ do all of that? _You_ do it," Ashton said.

"Fine! Gosh, I do _everything_!" I heard footsteps approach my way. I tried standing but Ashton had his hands firmly on my shoulders. _I swear I'm going to kill these boys once I'm free. That's a promise!_ I thought angrily, squirming.

"Squirming will get you nowhere, my friend." Dalton informed me, tying a thick rope around me and the chair so that I was bound to it. Despite the restraint, I writhed and twisted in the seat, but of course it was futile.

"Didn't I just say squirming will get you nowhere?" Dalton said whipping the blindfold and gag off. I blinked against the harsh light and gazed around the room. It seemed livelier than the other room I had slept in. It also appeared dirtier. Clothes and paper littered the floor. A trash basket was tipped over, the trash it carried strewn over the floor. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Ew! Whose room is this?!" I demanded a putrid and fouling smell assaulting my nose. Dalton appeared in my view, a grin plastered on his face.

"Welcome! The answer to your question is me," He seemed so proud at this fact. Ashton made an impatient sound.

"Dalton, don't you—" he stopped speaking and shook his head, "never mind. That's not important right now; we have other matters to tend." He gestured towards me.

"Hey! What's the big idea of all this? You boys had better prepare yourselves when I get out of here!"

"_If_ you do, which you won't. Anyway, _we'll_ be asking the questions," Dalton told me, smirking. Ashton went and stood beside him, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed._ Alright, time to put Plan B into action,_ I thought taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Alright Grace, spill. Just what did you mean earlier about Ace dying?" The two boys stared, well more like, glared at me waiting for a response. I held their glares and answered simply with, "I foresaw it." The two boys were completely taken back with my response.

"You… you _what_?" Ashton exclaimed, his eyes wide. Dalton's mouth was agape and his eyes bulged nearly out of his sockets.

"I foresaw the death of your second division commander. A tragic death it was." I bowed my head, shaking it. The purpose of this was so they would not see the tears that were threatening to flow.

"Wait, what do you mean when you say you 'foresaw' his death? How is that possible?" Dalton demanded, regaining composure.

"I… ate the Vision Vision Fruit. I can see… the future…." Ashton and Dalton both stared at me with unreadable expressions. It was silent for a long moment before Ashton spoke.

"You're a devil fruit user?" he queried, his voice soft.

"Yes, I am." I answered my voice equally soft.

"Well, damn."

**To Be Continued**


	10. A Threat or Not

**AN: The chapter title below is the true title; I had to cut the title short because not everything would fit. Sorry if it's cheesy. Couldn't come up with anything better.  
**

**Disclaimers: Oda owns One Piece and its characters. Everyone else is mine.**

**Chapter Ten: A Threat or Not a Threat that is the Question**

"Why are we being called to this meeting again?" Ace asked Marco as they both headed for the Captain's quarters where the meeting would take place.

"I don't know, I could guess it's about Grace," Marco answered rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're right, you know," a voice said from behind. They both looked to see Aki and Thatch.

"Starla, being the total worrywart that she is, told Whitebeard about the girl and her suspicions of her." Ace rolled his eyes while Marco shook his head.

"If you ask me, the girl doesn't even _appear_ all that threatening," Ace commented resuming his walk.

"I'm with you on that one." Aki agreed.

"I haven't seen the girl yet, but the men from my division can't seem to stop talking about her. Is it true she fell from the sky?" Thatch queried.

"Yeah, you don't remember that huge tremor from earlier?" Aki questioned looking over at him.

"There was a huge tremor?" Ace asked mildly shocked. "Where was I?"

"In a deep slumber maybe?" Marco answered snickering.

"Yeah, I believe you could literally sleep through an earthquake." Aki added, grinning.

"I believe he did, that one time." Thatch remarked, smiling himself. The three men laughed, remembering the particular event. While Ace, on the other hand, still had a puzzled expression on his face, struggling to remember what he was doing at the time. Maybe he really was sleeping at the time. It was possible it was one of his narcoleptic tendencies.

"Come on Ace, eh. Let's go in and get this over with," Marco said once he collected himself.

"Yeah, anybody wants a drink after this? I think we still have some left over from tonight's party," Aki said thoughtfully.

"Sure, why not? I just hope this meeting won't take too long." Ace said stretching.

* * *

_Where _is_ that girl? How long does she plan on keeping me waiting?_ Starla thought crossly, tapping the front toe of her heel on the floor. She was sitting at her study desk, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed in frustration. Starla had brought out a white T-shirt and black jeans for… what was her name again? Jessie? Martha? No, it started with a G… Georgia? Oh, who cares what her name was. She laid the clothes out on the bed for the girl to try out and said girl wasn't here. How long has it been? Fifteen, twenty minutes? Did she get lost? Surely she had asked somebody where her room was located.

_Unless she's trying again to escape._ The corners of Starla's mouth twitched. The girl had attempted to escape using one of the small boats they had but was unable to get the boat to fall into the ocean. Instead she herself fell into the ocean only to get rescued and end back up on the ship she was trying to escape from. The whole event was certainly laughable.

And Starla couldn't help (much to her dismay) but be interested in the girl because of _how_ she appeared on the ship._ Where on earth had she fallen from? She doesn't look that much of a threat but then what's that saying? Looks can be deceiving?_ She let out of puff of air and stood up._ The meeting with the division commanders should be starting right about now,_ she thought walking over to an open porthole.

_Am I making this whole thing more of a big deal than it is? Well, one can't be too careful. Not during this age and time. _She remembered the little gadget the girl had taken out the first time they had met. A cell phone, she had called it. Starla had never seen the device before but realized when the girl had used it the item was similar to a small Den Den Mushi. Not only that but when Starla asked the girl where she came from, she answered "The good ol' USA." Which stood for… what again? She had never even heard of this "USA." Is it an island located on the Grand Line? Starla had so many unanswered questions and was sure she would receive answers until _Aki_, that stupid boy, interrupted her interrogation. She was planning on getting some answers when the girl would come retrieve the dry clothes but she hadn't shown up.

"Where the hell is that brat? Haven't her parents taught her not to keep others waiting? Or does she think she's special?" Starla questioned angrily turning away from the porthole, her frustration building. "I'm not _obliged_ to let her borrow my clothes! Damn Marco," She cursed angrily. She went over to her study desk where her sword was propped against the desk. She snatched it up and stomped over to the door, yanking it open.

"I'll find the brat myself and let her know exactly who she's dealing with. Damn brat." She slammed the door behind her, the noise resounding throughout the hall.

* * *

"So, what is the problem we're having?" Whitebeard asked the commanders. All sixteen division commanders were in Whitebeard's room, sitting at an oval-shaped table with Whitebeard at the head.

"Well, you know what Pops, I do not believe we have a problem."Aki stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "This is just Starla overreacting. As usual. So a girl fell out of the sky and onto our ship. So what?"

"Well, I would feel that would be a big deal," Vista remarked.

"Okay, but the girl is nowhere near a threat. If anything _she's_ afraid of _us_." Aki pointed out. "Hence her attempt at escape."

"Fell from the sky you say?" Whitebeard spoke, intrigued with this information.

"Yeah, the sky. You remember that huge tremor from before? The girl caused it."

"I've heard this from several others, also. Did you find out where she came from?" Curiel, commander of the tenth division, commented.

"Yeah, she said she's from the 'good ol' USA.' I've never heard of the place. Have you Pops?" Whitebeard didn't answer for a few seconds, thinking of whether or not he did.

"Hmm… it doesn't sound familiar," he finally replied.

"What does USA stand for anyways?" Vista asked.

"Um… she had said it but I don't remember…" Aki answered.

"So a girl appears from the sky and comes from a place nobody has heard of… right?" Ace said, summarizing.

"Wait." The third commander, Jozu, spoke. All eyes turned to the commander. He had his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Some men had told me that this girl had said that Ace-san… died. And not only Ace-san but she said something about Pops, too. They couldn't hear what exactly though." It was silent for a moment. Ace blinked several times before pointing to himself and said "Me? She said I died? Are you sure?" Jozu bowed his head slightly.

"I can't be sure of anything. I heard this come from those who were near the girl."

"Wait, I remember Dalton was making a commotion and he was saying something similar to what you are now," Aki frowned, wondering what on earth it meant.

"So, the girl is a threat after all?" Marco questioned.

"She can't be! Just because she said Ace died obviously doesn't mean anything. I mean, Ace is here, isn't he?" Aki asked, pointedly.

"Wait, did she say that I died or that I'm _going_ to die?" Ace queried, a grin plastered on his face.

"Why are you grinning Ace?" Vista asked perplexingly.

"I just find this whole thing amusing."

"Someone claims you're dead and you find that amusing?"

"You don't?" Several voices spoke at once. Some commanders were saying how ridiculous the whole thing was while others sided with Ace's comment.

"Okay, okay, I believe sitting here and discussing this will not get us anywhere," Whitebeard said finally, halting all conversation. "If you truly want answers the best way to do so is going to the source yourself. In fact, Marco, I would like for you to summon… what is her name?"

"Grace." Aki supplied.

"Bring her here. I would like to speak to her myself."

"Roger that," Marco said giving a slight nod of the head.

"This meeting is now over." Whitebeard announced.

* * *

"So you can see the future. Really?" Dalton asked what seemed like the hundredth time. The two boys had finally released me once I promised profusely I would not run out of the room and scream for my dear life. Not that I think I could do that anyway seeing as how they're both taller than me by a foot and outnumber me by one.

"Yes, Dalton. How many times are you going to ask me that?"

"I don't believe you," Ashton told me flatly, "If it's true you possess Vision Vision fruit then how come you didn't see Dalton and I coming?"

"My powers don't work that way. They appear randomly. I even have visions when I'm sleeping. I think they're dreams at first but when the so called dream happens in real life, I find out it was a vision of the future. Weird, I know."

"But… but when you say that Ace died… you… saw it happening…?" Ashton asked, obviously not wanting to believe me.

"Okay, look you don't have to believe me. I'm just answering your questions." I said to him, putting my hands up as if in surrender. Ashton and Dalton didn't say anything for a moment, until Dalton finally spoke.

"You said he died protecting his brother…? I didn't know Ace had a brother…"

"Yeah, his name is—" A loud, obnoxious knock at the door interrupted me.

"DALTON! ASHTON!" An infuriated voice called out.

"Starla!" Ashton, Dalton and I whisper-shouted.

"What did we do? What does she want with us?" Ashton asked fear evident in his voice. Dalton just shrugged and looked about the room. Whether for a place to hide or a weapon, I have no idea. The knocks came again only this time louder and more violent than before. The door looked ready to crack. I suddenly remembered something very important.

"Oh crap! I forgot! I was supposed to meet with Starla so I could borrow clothes from her!"

"What?!" The boys cried in unison.

"But it wasn't my fault! I was on my way to her room before you two ambushed me! So if she's going to be killing anyone, I'll make sure it's you two!" I declared, racing for the door.

"No, wait!" Too late. Before I could reach the door, it burst open. I yelped, shielding my eyes from flying wood and splinters. When I uncovered them, I saw Starla standing in the doorway, an angry scowl on her face. Her violet eyes narrowed into slits when they saw me.

"St-Starla! Listen, before you say or do anything, _I_ would like to say—" But I didn't get to finish. Starla took out her sword which I only realized was sheathed at her waist and pointed it dangerously in my direction.

"Well, would you lookie here. It seems you _did_ forget all about me." I took three huge steps back. My eyes concentrated on the shiny, pointed object.

"St-Starla, let's not get hasty. It's not even what it looks like!" I protested taking several more steps back. I bumped into Dalton and Ashton who were cowering behind me. Starla didn't seem to be listening.

"I'll teach you who you're messing with, brat!" She cried, a wicked gleam in her eye as she raised the sword.

"NO! Wait, please!" I cried shielding my face (as if that'll really protect me) and turned my face away as she brought the sword down.


	11. Good to Know

**AN: Grace's bio is in chapter one. I apologize indefinitely for the inconvenience but I have totally and completely forgotten to add her bio in the beginning, which I'm sure is strange, but I forget these kind of things. Again sorry!  
**

**Disclaimers: I do not own One Piece or its characters. Everyone one else belongs to moi.**

**Chapter Eleven: Good to Know**

I waited for the piercing of the blade, the inevitable pain I would soon feel. But nothing happened. I opened my eyes, only to realize they were closed, and looked over at Starla. She had a pleased look on her face, her sword stuck in the wooden floor. _What…?_ I didn't let my guard down, not even for a second. I eyed her warily, my hands still shielding my face.

"What? You're not going to kill me?" I questioned, my voice cracking on _kill_.

"Haha," Starla laughed, _laughed_ (for some odd reason I couldn't imagine her performing the action). She pulled her sword out of the ground and sheathed it.

"If I wanted to kill ya kid, I would have done it _long_ ago. Maybe this will give you some kind of clue as to who you're messing with. Don't forget you're on Whitebeard's ship." _Oh no, how could I possibly forget that? _I thought with sarcasm, letting my hands fall limp.

"Just curious but just who do you think you are, huh?" Starla demanded, crossing her arms.

"What?" What is she talking about and why does she hate me so much? What did _I_ do?

"I brought out dry clothes for you to wear and you don't show up. You know I don't _have_ to give you my clothes. You can shiver yourself to death for all I care." Okay, what is this woman's _problem_? Gosh, take a chill pill.

"Oh, well, actually to tell you the truth—"

"Oh, there you are," a voice interrupted me. I looked around Starla to see Marco standing in the doorway, leaning against the door's frame.

"Marco," Starla growled, "Do you not see us in the middle of a conversation?"

"Sorry to interrupt, eh. But Pops wants to see Grace," My eyes widened to the size of saucers and I pointed at myself. "What, me? He wants to see… me?"

"No, your twin sister." Starla let out an impatient sigh. "Fine, but before she goes she needs to change clothes first." She wrinkled her nose at me. "There's no way you're meeting the old man looking like a drowned rat." Excuse me? She grabbed my hand before I could say anything and began dragging me out the room. I tried wriggling my hand out of her grasp but the girl was freaking strong! I don't even think she realizes I was struggling.

Marco watched as Starla walked past him without glancing his way. I, on the other hand, mouthed 'help' still struggling against the woman's iron grip. Marco chuckled and called out to Starla, "Why don't you try being gentle with her, eh?"

"Why don't you try kissing my ass, eh?" Starla shot back, refusing to look back. _Is this girl the devil or what…? Okay, so maybe not the _devil_ but she has to be close._ Marco scratched his head, wondering what had gotten Starla in such a snappy mood (though she always seemed to be in a snappy mood, she appeared snappier than usual). He glanced back in the room where Ashton and Dalton stood, paralyzed. Their eyes similar to egg whites and their mouths gaping open.

"Oi, now what did you two do?" He asked, sighing. The two would incessantly get into trouble with Starla. No matter how many times she would punish them or how _painful_ those punishments were, they would go back and cause more mischief. It was like their hobby. The boys didn't answer... or more like they didn't answer Marco's question.

"I… I… I thought I was going to die this time…" Dalton spoke his mouth still open.

"Me… me too. I thought I was going to die, too." Ashton said in the same manner as Dalton. Marco just stared at the two pirates before shaking his head and leaving.

* * *

"Why does Whitebeard want to see me?" I asked in a whimpering tone as I gazed myself in the mirror. I had my hair pulled back in a pony tail with only a few strands loose (tucked behind my ears, of course). Starla had picked out for me a plain T-shirt and black jeans. I also wore black boots to go along with the attire. I hated it. Reason 1: I hated the color black. Reason 2: The whole outfit seemed so… dull. It was too simple. Boring. Reason 3… did I mention I hate the color black? Of course, I didn't voice my opinions; I'm not trying to die at a young age.

"What am I, psychic? I don't know why the old man wants to see you." Starla cocked her head to one side, appraising my outfit (though there's not much to appraise). "Okay, great. You look great," She complimented walking up behind me, her reflection appearing in the mirror.

"Really?"

"No. But you don't look like a wet rodent anymore." I didn't think I had looked like one previously, but whatever.

"Can I try something else?" I asked, frowning at myself. I knew I was wading in dangerous waters but I just _detested_ this outfit. Starla's eyes narrowed and I held my breath, waiting for her snappy response.

"Hmph, I see you have a backbone after all, kid. Sure, I'll get you something else." Starla said turning and walking over to her closet. I let out the breath I had forgotten I was holding.

"What do you think about this?" Starla queried bringing over a red blouse and blue skirt with frills at the bottom. My eyes widened as I imagined myself in it. I looked pretty hot if I do say so myself.

"I love it!"

"Great, I was thinking of wearing it tomorrow." Starla said, examining the outfit herself. Um, excuse me? Is she serious? I stared at the woman, trying to gauge whether or not she was. Starla continued gazing at the outfit before laying it out on her bed.

"I bought it on the last island we had been on… how long ago was that?" She asked herself gazing up at the ceiling thoughtfully. She _is_ serious! Oh, I _knew_ she was the devil! Starla glanced over at me before a grin broke out on her face (I didn't think she was capable of that, either).

"Ha, just joking with ya. Now hurry and take that off will, ya?"

"Oh, um… okay," I got out of the distasteful clothes and put on the clothes Starla had laid out of me. Once I was fully dressed, I checked myself in the mirror and smiled widely.

"So, you like it, huh?" Starla said leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

"Yeah! I mean, would I be smiling like this if I didn't?"

"Huh… then that means you didn't like the first choice?"

"I _hated_ the first choice."

"That's okay; I chose it on purpose to see if you would say anything."

"Oh… well, I better get going," I said, inching my way toward the door.

"Well, okay but don't you think you're forgetting something?" Starla queried, an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed. I frowned, not sure what she was talking about.

"Like what?"

"Like shoes?" Oh. Yeah, that is important, isn't it? Starla threw at me a pair of black gladiator sandals that had golden designs imprinted on the straps. Although it was black I immediately took a liking to the shoes, but only because of its golden designs.

"Okay, now you're ready to go."

"Great! Thanks!" I said once I had the sandals strapped on my feet. I opened the door and was about to step out when Starla stopped me.

"Yeah?" I said turning to her.

"Don't get these clothes wet," she told me pushing off the wall she was leaning on. "Because I really will kill you if you do." Translation: Don't even _think_ about escaping again. She said this with a smile on her face and so casually, too. I gave her a sweet smile and replied with, "Good to know."


	12. Flashing Back

**I am sorry for taking so long to update but I had to study for two exams: AP English and SAT. I don't think I did too well on either but it's okay because I plan on retaking the SAT next year to improve my scores. Anyway enough of that, here's chapter twelve, my longest chapter yet. Long chapter yay! Hopefully you all will enjoy.**

**Disclaimers: VeryCoolPerson does not own One Piece or its characters but OC's belong to her.**

**Chapter Twelve: Flashing Back **

Stella Stephens entered her home while jabbering away on the phone with Lisa Cortez, a friend from school.

"No, no Lisa, gold and brown together is just _hideous_! How could you even think that? Maybe gold and black is… what? You hate the color black?" Stella entered the living room and threw her backpack and herself on the couch.

"How can you hate black? What? It makes you look emo?" Stella snorted and began giggling uncontrollably. "No… no, I'm not laughing. Okay, how about this then, red with a splash of gold. Yeah? You like that? Me too, you should totally wear it at the Harvest Ball. Hey, what do you think… you have to go? Okay, just text me later so we can chat again, okay? 'Kay, bye." Stella hung up and began dialing Grace's number.

_I wonder if she's less mad now,_ she wondered as she listened to the dial tone. She brushed through her golden-colored hair with her hands and loved how silky and satiny smooth it felt.

"_Hello?"_

"Grace! Geez, what took you so long to answer your phone?" Stella asked impatiently as she stared at her nails. _I really should get a manicure…._

"_Hey Stells! Sorry 'bout that."_

"Yeah, you should keep your cell on your person."

"_Whatever. I didn't even take that long in answering. You're like the most impatient person I have ever met."_ Stella received many comments like this and regarded them as compliments.

"Thanks."

"_That wasn't a compliment Stells,"_

"Sounded like one to me."

"_Anyways, thanks for calling and I'm sorry for my snappy mood earlier."_ Grace said apologetically.

"It's okay. No, not really. What happened anyway? Did you get in a fight with one of your friends?"

"_No, but they did piss me off but it's cool now,"_ Grace replied, rather quickly Stella noted. She guessed Grace's friends were present with her.

"So what happened that made you blow your lid?" Stella queried gazing up at the ceiling and making patterns with her eyes.

"_Well, it's really stupid. I feel stupid for letting it get to me like that but—"_ A piercing scream interrupted Grace's sentence. The sound was so loud Stella jerked her head away from the phone.

"_Samantha what is it?"_ Stella heard Grace demand and a male voice crying out "What the hell?" at the same time. Stella put the phone back to her ear and demanded, "What? What is it? Who screamed?" Stella knew that was a stupid question since Grace yelled out Samantha's name, however, she wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. What had made Samantha scream like that? She knew almost nothing scared the girl, so what happened? Also, what is that deafening roar she's hearing?

Before Stella could question the noise Grace spoke, _"I'm going to have to call you back Stells,"_ There was an abrupt sound and then dial tone. Stella stared at the phone for a few moment and pressed disconnect. She gripped the little device in her hand tightly but soon loosened her grip, letting it fall on the couch. _Well, if she says she'll call me, she'll me. I'll give her twenty minutes. If she doesn't call within that time I'll just call her back._ Stella bit her lip, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. _I hope everything is okay. _Her growling stomach pulled her out of her thoughts. Time to eat_. I hope Mom went grocery shopping yesterday._ Stella jumped off the couch and bounded for the kitchen to prepare lunch.

**_Thirty minutes later_**

After Stella finished eating and cleaning up she checked the clock on the kitchen wall. _Hmm… it's been thirty minutes since that call with Grace. Better go call her back._

"_You've got mail, you've got mail."_ a male, almost robotic voice announced. Stella knew immediately it was her cell phone informing her of an incoming text message. She ran into the living room and flopped on the couch while at the same time grabbing up her cell. She turned her cell sideways and flipped it open to reveal the keyboard. The message was from Lisa: **hey im ready 2 chat. U?**

Stella's thumbs flew over the keyboard as she typed **No. Cant. Sorry.**_ Send, and now to call Grace._ Dialing her number Stella pressed the phone to her ear. She listened to the dial tone and waited, and waited, and waited. _Hello, I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave a message—_Stella pressed the disconnect button.

Sitting up, Samantha's intense and terrified scream echoed through her head.

"That's it, I'll just head over to Grace's house and see what's up." Stella placed her cell phone in her pocket and got off the couch. Scribbling a quick note to her mother and sticking it on the refrigerator, she dashed out of the house.

**At the Seafeld Residence**

The weather had made another 180; the sky appeared azure and serene with not a cloud in sight, the sun peaked high in the sky making Stella sweat like crazy while she rode on her bike and only a slightly breeze blew occasionally.

When Stella arrived at Grace's house she couldn't believe what she saw: Grace's house appeared completely and utterly demolished; as if a giant had come and stepped on it and left behind nothing but fragmented wood. Multiple police cars stood in front of the destruction. Men in dark uniform scurried around the property taking pictures and examining the scene. Neighbors and passers-by looked on also, murmuring and whispering to each other. Some had horrified expressions while others seemed excited with the anomaly; nothing exciting ever happened in Forks County, Oregon. Stella saw Grace's mother speaking to a policeman, her face taut with anxiety, fear and sorrow.

"Oh my God," Stella whispered, jumping off her bike and running toward the devastating scene.

"Hey, you there!" One policeman man called out when Stella ducked under the yellow tape. She ignored him and headed straight for Mrs. Seafeld.

"Mrs. Seafeld! Mrs. Seafeld!" Stella cried out. Before she could reach the woman, however, two men grabbed Stella by both arms.

"Hey! Let go!" Stella protested, struggling.

"Stella! Please, let her go. She's a family friend." The two men loosened their grip but did not release Stella's arms. Stella decided not to say anything about this but instead plunged into the more important matter.

"Mrs. Seafeld… what _happened?_" The policeman who Mrs. Seafeld spoke to began walking away, whether satisfied with the answers he received or giving the two women their space to talk, Stella did not know. He signaled for the two men to release Stella, leading her to believe the latter. The men obeyed and went away in the other direction. When they left Mrs. Seafeld took in a breath and then broke down crying.

Startled, Stella didn't know what to do initially, but decided to soothe the woman by patting her back lightly.

"Um… Mrs. Seafeld?" Stella began once the woman's sobs died down, "What happened?"

"I don't know!" The woman wailed. "I just came home ten minutes ago to find my house destroyed and the police and, and," Mrs. Seafeld hiccupped on the word. She buried her face in her hand and began sobbing once more. Stella didn't think any kind of comfort now would do any good. She gazed over at the ruined house, her heart picking up speed.

"Mrs. Seafeld… did they find any…"

"Nooo," Mrs. Seafeld moaned in her hands, her body swaying a little. "No, they didn't find any bodies…" Stella let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank God."

"Stella,"

"Yes?" Stella gazed at the broken woman expectantly, her own heart crying in sympathy.

"I can't reach Grace's… I tried calling her to tell her the horrible news but she's not answering her cell…. I also tried calling Samantha and Johnny in case Grace was staying at one of their houses or if they knew her whereabouts but they're not answering their cells either." Samantha's frightening screams sounded through her head.

"Ah, Mrs. Seafeld—" _Baby are you down, down, down, down, down. _The song played and filled the air as Stella dipped in her pocket and brought out her cell, hoping it was Grace. Mrs. Seafeld was thinking similarly and lifted her head. Stella looked at the ID and frowned in disappointment.

"Sorry," she sighed, "it's someone else." Mrs. Seafeld dropped her head once more in her hands and began sobbing again.

"Hey, Lisa, sorry but I can't talk right now."

"_Stella, what's going on? I text you earlier but—"_

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry, but I _really_ can't speak right now." Stella pressed the disconnect button to prove her claim. She replaced her phone in her pocket and turned to Mrs. Seafeld but the woman was nowhere to be seen.

"Mrs. Seafeld?" Stella called out turning around in place. She caught the woman speaking to the policeman from earlier, a pleading and beseeching look upon her face. She took a step forward in their direction when a movement from the corner of her left eye caught her attention. Turning her head in the direction, Stella saw a person clad in a snowy white robe which covered practically every inch of the person's body. The person wore a hood that covered their face so she could not determine the person's gender. The garment the person wore surprised Stella; why the hell would someone wear a robe when it's eighty-degrees out?

She continued staring at the person while simultaneously walking in Mrs. Seafeld's direction. The person raised their arm, the white fabric sliding down and revealing pale, ghastly skin. Stella stopped walking when she noticed the person was pointing at her. She narrowed her eyes, wondering what on earth the stranger wanted with her.

She knew the dangers of speaking to strangers but there were a fine number of policemen and witnesses; the person couldn't harm or kidnap her if they desired to. With this thought in mind, Stella headed purposefully toward the robe clad person. Stella stopped only five feet in front of the person, not wanting to approach any closer. The stranger appeared taller than her, at least about three inches. She raised one eyebrow in question. The only physical part she could see was the person's mouth which was currently smiling.

"Um…" Stella began but the person interrupted her.

"I'm surprised you actually came to talk to me." The voice sounded smooth and velvety, almost musical even; Stella could discern the person as male. His voice caught her off guard for some unknown reason, possibly because she planned on him sounding eerily creepy.

"Um, yeah, well, there are a lot of police guys around here, not to mention witnesses so you can't really harm me." The boy's lips upturned into a smirk.

"You believe that, do you?" The boy murmured, too low for Stella to hear.

"Listen, who are you and what do you want with me?" Stella demanded impatiently putting her hands on her hips. She had better and far more important things to do than speak to some stranger.

"I know what happened to your friend," the boy replied in a casual manner, his smirk growing wider.

"What? What do you mean you 'know what happened to my friend'? Isn't that implying that something terrible happened?" The boy nodded gravely, a frown replacing the smirk.

"Yes, I am afraid so."

"Well tell me! What do you know? Who are you and how do you know this? How—"

"Whoa, whoa, I'm sorry but I can't answer those questions… not at the present time anyway." The boy moved his head side to side in a swift movement. It took Stella three seconds to process that the boy was analyzing his surroundings; making sure no bystander was within earshot.

"Listen, I'll tell you all you need to know. But not right now."

"What do you mean 'not right now'? Why not? Just tell me." Stella commanded. The boy shook his head and began taking a few steps backwards. "Sorry. I can't tell you right this second. Not possible. But don't worry, I'll tell you everything." Finally, satisfied with accomplishing his mission, the boy turned left and ran down the street with such surprising agility Stella didn't think it was possible for a human to move that quick.

_What the hell is going on? Who _was_ that guy and how does he know Grace?_ Stella frustratingly kicked the ground and let out an angry sigh. Okay, obviously throwing a fit wasn't going to help her none. She needed to take action _now_. Stella headed in the direction of Mrs. Seafeld who was no longer talking to the policeman but with a couple of neighbors. They seemed to be trying to comfort the woman but were failing miserably.

"Hey Mrs. Seafeld, I'm going to visit all of Grace's favorite hangout spots and see if she's at any of them. You can leave finding her to me." Mrs. Seafeld turned around gave Stella watery smile. "Thank you Stella. Should I come along?"

"No, no, I can handle it on my own. You just stay here in case she returns. Bye!" Stella waved and jogged toward her bicycle. Standing the bike upright, Stella climbed on and began pedaling in the direction of Forks County's local library, Grace's number one favorite place to read and relax, she also hoped to see the mysterious stranger on the way there.

**And that's chapter twelve. Took me two days to write and proofread this chapter. Let me know if you see any errors! I'm still working on writing in third person, I even made another story in third person just to improve on the skill but bleh, I prefer writing in first person because I feel more involved with the characters.**


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